The Rare Compassion of the Sea
by Epidemic666
Summary: When a young pirate escapes Lord Becketts clutches, she soon finds herself aboard The Flying Dutchman. While Davy Jones' first instinct is to kill her, he quickly realizes that he may be able to use her to get back what is rightfully his. Timeline inside.
1. Prologue

Hello fanfictioners, and welcome to my new and improved chapter prologue of 'The Gift of the Siren', now 'The Rare Compassion of the Sea'. If

Any of you have read my Author's Note, then you will know that I am re-writing part of my story. My original idea is still in place, however my

changing the first chapter has prompted me to change the next few chapters as well. I hope you will continue to read my story and I apologize

for any inconveniences. Also, if any of you are wondering when this story takes place, it is after Dead Man's Chest, and before At World's End.

**Prologue**

Dezeray held her breath as she watched the man step into the hull. She had known that someone would probably find her eventually, though she hadn't thought it would be this soon. The man looked around, and she slowly ducked her head back down behind the large barrels where she was hiding. She was fairly certain that he hadn't seen her and she wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side toady and the seas were rather rough. The ship lurched involuntarily and she fell against the barrels she had been hiding behind, knocking them over and stumbling to the ground. The man quickly went over to her, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to her feet.

"I knew we had a stowaway onboard!" he sneered triumphantly. "And now I have proof!"

"So, I guess we can't just keep this between you and me?" She asked with a small smile. The man grunted in reply before exiting the hull, making his way above deck and dragging her along behind him. He walked across the ship to the quarter deck, where he pushed Dezeray in front of the man at the helm.

"Found her in the hull, Captain," the man who had just pushed her stated. The man at the helm turned to look at her, he was obviously the captain. He was a tall man, with light brown skin, short, dirty looking black hair, dark brown eyes, and a mouth filled almost entirely of gold teeth. All in all, he was not very attractive.

"My apologies for doubting you, Roberto," the captain replied in a slimy voice. "It's just that we don't often get stowaways. I thought maybe all that rum had gotten the better of you." Both men laughed, and Dezeray began to laugh as well.

"What are you laughing at you little wench?!" Roberto barked angrily, Dezeray looked up at him innocently.

"Well, what you said just sounded so hilarious, I thought I'd laugh too," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. Roberto grabbed onto her shoulder and pulled her back toward him.

"What would you have me do with her, sir?" he asked the captain.

"Well...you found her, so you can have the pleasure of choosing what to do with-" Before the Captain could finish his sentence, a huge splash was heard beside them, and moments later, the bowsprit of an enormous ship broke the surface of the water. All three stared at the ship in awe, as did the rest of the crew, their mouths hanging agape as they watched the rest of the ship surface.

It was like no other ship Dezeray had ever seen, she was intrigued by it. Its bowsprit was shaped into the form of a large menacing mouth, and the whole ship looked as if it had been at the bottom of the ocean for years. It was a dark, greenish black color, algae and coral sprouting out of various places, and its sails looked almost as if they were constructed of seaweed.

Dezeray closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to snap out of her trance. She noticed that Roberto's grip around her shoulder had loosened greatly, and without even thinking, she broke free of his grip and headed for the forecastle deck. However before she could get there, the exclamation of "FIRE!" was heard from the other ship. The ship she was on suddenly began to convulse violently, causing her to stumble to the side, though she managed to stay on her feet. Stray pieces of debris began to fall all around her and she dashed for the front of the ship. She noticed that most of the men above deck were scrambling for cover, seeming not to notice her at all. Another set of tremors, and she had made it to the ships forecastle. She jumped onto the railing, prepared to dive into the choppy sea water. Another blast from the enemy ships cannons caused the ship to pitch to the side, and her dive was transformed into a hasty flip over the side of the rail.

She plunged into the water with a splash, and managed to swim to the surface for a few breaths of air. The choppy water made it very difficult to swim, however she managed to swim a great distance from the ship she had jumped from. She stared back at the ship in horror.

_The Ranger_, as it had once been called, had been destroyed in mere minutes it seemed, and it's now charred remains bobbed above the waters surface desolately. The ship that had destroyed _The Ranger_, stood by its prey. Dezeray suddenly noticed that another ship was fast approaching, also noticing that it had become increasingly difficult to stay above the inclement water without something to hold on two. She thought about swimming back toward _The Rangers'_ wreckage to find a board or barrel to hang on to, quickly made her decision and began to swim back toward the ship's remains. She found a large piece of driftwood that, at some point, must have been part of the ships deck, and climbed onto it.

She was suddenly aware of how close she was to the ominous ship that had just ravaged _The Ranger_, and was unsure of what the ships crew might do if they spotted her. She would soon find out however as she saw someone look over the side of the huge ship. He yelled something she couldn't hear, though it hadn't seemed to be to her, before he disappeared back behind the ship's rail. She looked up at the ship in confusion. She was to far away to make out what the man had looked like, though she had thought he looked a bit...unusual. Had he been wearing some kind of mask? She didn't have time to ponder the question however as something suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her into the water.

Her first thought was that it was a shark, however although the current grip around her wrist was tight, it was nowhere near painful enough to be a shark's jaws. Moments later, she was suddenly dropped upon a deck. The grip on her wrist was relinquished and she felt another grip on her shoulder, abruptly hauling her up. She coughed and sputtered, clearing her mouth and nose of the putrid sea water that she had involuntarily inhaled when she had been pulled into the water. The salty liquid stung her eyes, and the grip on her shoulder allowed her to wipe away the water, clearing her vision. When she opened her eyes, she gasped at what she saw and a scream hitched in her throat. She was aboard the ship she had seen, surrounded by men who couldn't really be described as men at all.

One man had a head that seemed to be incased in a conch shell, while another had a face half covered in sharp spines; they were all rather frightening. She closed her eyes, thinking that this was all just a bad dream, however when she opened her eyes, she was still on the ship, and the 'men' were still surrounding her. Footfalls were suddenly audible, but she noted the irregularity of them. She had never heard footsteps like this before, one heavy step followed by a strange, dull thud. The footsteps continued to approach until the group of men surrounding her parted, revealing who it was that owned the footsteps. She recoiled in fright as she saw the man...thing approaching her, and although she tried to back away, the grip on shoulder tightened, rooting her to the spot. It was only then that she decided to look up to see who was restraining her. He was very tall, with pale bluish skin and a mouth filled with sharp, jagged teeth. The top of his head was separated into two parts, and she thought he looked very much like a hammerhead shark.

When she brought her head back down, she saw that the man who had been approaching her now stood right in front of her. She began to tremble with fear as he kneeled down to her level, the strange tentacles of his beard hovering mere inches from her face. He opened his mouth to say something, however before he could, more footfalls, and the strange fish-men were suddenly surrounded by a group of normal, human men. Dezeray noted that they were all dressed in military type clothing. A man with a very bored expression on his face began to approach the strange man standing in front of her, stopping directly behind him.

"Jones, do I have to remind you of your place under the command of the East India Trading Company?" The man asked blandly. Jones huffed impatiently, standing and turning toward the man.

"You are to find and board any ship sailing under a pirate flag, bring the pirates aboard your ship, and **I** will have my men interrogate them." He paused for a moment, continuing. "That way, we can find out the location of other pirates without having to sail around the entire ocean."

Dezeray was amazed that this man could stand up to someone so frightening without even flinching. He was treating the captain like a child, explaining the right way to do things.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Lord Beckett," Jones spat angrily through a strong Scottish accent, "but that's not the way we do business-"

"Well that's the way **we** do business, so I suggest you follow suit," Beckett interrupted, before pushing Jones aside. He walked toward Dezeray, kneeling down to her level, and staring at her for a few moments. She stared back into his blue eyes defiantly, watching as a small smirk grazed his features.

He looked her up and down, and she felt slightly self conscious. "She is a sole survivor I assume?" Beckett questioned, looking up at the shark man. He nodded. "Very well," he replied, standing to his full height. "Take her aboard The Endeavor," he ordered one of the military men, who jogged over and grabbed onto her opposite shoulder, causing the shark man to let go. He began to pull her toward the side of the ship, helping her over the rail, and instructing her to climb down into the large longboat awaiting them below. She did as she was told, and soon, she and a number of other men, were heading toward the ship she had seen approaching before.

There were soon, aboard the ship _The Endeavor_, and she was being led to the ships brig. She was shoved into a large cell, where the man who had been leading her closed and locked the cells door. He left her alone, heading back above deck.

_'Wonder how I'm going to get out of this,'_ Dezeray thought hopelessly to herself, as she sat down on the cold floor of the cell.

* * *

So, that's my new prologue and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as my first one. I know it's been a while since I updated, though I have

been incredibly busy the past week. I'll try to post chapter 2 shortly. Later!


	2. Chapter 1 An Unsuccessful Interrogation

Hey peoples. So chapter 1 is finally up, and a cookie goes out to FreedomOftheSeas for helping me a great deal with it. Hope it turned out all

right. Later!

**Chapter 1 - An Unsuccessful Interrogation **

Dezeray sat in the brig of the _Endeavor_ for a long time, all the while, contemplating all that had happened to her in the past few days. She had snuck onto _The Ranger _without being successfully detected for about a day. She had been discovered; however, before the captain could do anything with her, that ship-she wasn't sure of its name-had attacked them. She looked up, the memory still fresh in her mind. It had been the most compelling and terrifying ship she had ever seen. The crew had surely been a sight to behold, though the captain had been the most memorable; his crab leg, the long tentacle of his index finger, that lobster claw. It was enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone. She shivered as she thought about how close she had been to him.

'_What was it that Beckett called him?' _She was almost positive he had said the captain's name. _'It started with a J didn't it? J.....J.....Jones! Yes, that was it! Beckett called him Jones!_'

Her eyes suddenly widened as something dawned on her. '_No, it couldn't be_,' she thought, shaking her head childishly. Those were just stories, Davy Jones wasn't real...he couldn't be. But, she had seen him with her own eyes and even heard Beckett call him Jones; there was really no other explanation. She sat with her back against the wall of the cell, sighing. She remembered how her father used to tell her stories about the ruthless Captain Davy Jones. When he recruited half-dead souls onto his ship, _The Flying Dutchman_, they were bound to serve for one hundred years before the mast. They were doomed to transform into monsters of their own repentance.

Thinking of her father, she reached for the little silver pocket knife attached to her belt and pulled it off. She ran her hands over the name engraved on it: _Dezeray_. She had been thrilled when he had given it to her for her birthday; she carried it around with her everywhere she went. A small smile crept across her face as she thought. Had he been alive today, there is no doubt that he would be immensely proud of her. She couldn't help be feel pride in the fact that she had been aboard one of the most feared ships in the ocean and lived. Though she wasn't quite sure he would approve of how she had snuck onto _The Ranger _in the first place.

Approaching footsteps interrupted her thoughts; she looked up to find a tall, handsome man walk up to her cell. She sat up and watched as the man revealed a set of keys and began to unlock the cell door. He was holding something else, though she couldn't quite make out what it was.

"Lord Beckett would like to speak with you," the man said as he unlocked the cell door, swinging it open. She could now see that a set of shackles were what was clasped in his hands.

"And who might you be?" she asked him, standing completely still. She grinned and cocked her head to the side as she watched the man before her. He didn't reply, only stood, waiting for her to exit the cell. She began to walk toward him very slowly, watching as he rolled his eyes. Her grin widened.

She stopped as he gripped her wrist, snapping the shackles on. She winced as the rough metal tightened around her skin, but said nothing. He grabbed her arm and led her out of the brig and above deck. They made their way across the main deck and toward the captain's cabin. Dezeray glanced up at the two guards standing on either side of the large translucent glass doors leading to the cabin; they would hinder any chance she had of escaping. The man opened the doors, though she noticed that he did it rather hesitantly. He let her in, stepping in behind her. They found Beckett standing by the large window beside his desk. He turned when he heard them enter.

"Ah, thank you, Admiral," Beckett replied blandly, signaling for him to leave. Norrington nodded, letting go of Dezeray's arm, closing the doors behind him as he exited. Beckett turned back toward the window.

"Surprising that someone so young managed to survive an attack by_ The Flying Dutchman_," he stated, turning to face her.

"What can I say?" she replied, shrugging her shoulders indifferently, "I'm rather resourceful."

"And humble as well, I see." he retorted with a smirk. "No matter, there is something I would like to speak with you about, and if you cooperate, I may just keep you alive."

She gulped.

"So, what exactly would you like to speak with me about?" she asked, managing to keep her voice calm.

"How was it that you found yourself aboard that pirate ship?" He questioned. This wasn't the reply she had been expecting, and she thought for a few moments, unsure of exactly how to answer. She was about to say that she had been a stowaway, though quickly realized that it would not be smart to give this as an answer.

"I was kidnapped," she replied coolly. Beckett raised an eyebrow. He stared hard at her for a few moments, analyzing her; looking for a sign that would indicate she was lying. A twitch of the lips, or a flutter of the eyes; he noted nothing.

"And, where exactly were you kidnapped from?" he pushed.

"Singapore," this time, she didn't hesitate.

"Why were you in Singapore?" he asked, beginning to frown; this interrogation was not going well.

"I traveled there with my father," she explained, slightly confused. This of course was a lie, though she still wasn't sure exactly what Beckett wanted to hear. She had traveled to Singapore by means of a small trading vessel, though she hadn't gone for any specific reason. She just wanted to see what the city was like.

Beckett's frown deepened; this was going nowhere. It didn't seem likely that this girl had any specific information at all. He was no longer sure he needed her, and would have Mercer dispose of her when he got a chance.

"Very well then," he sighed, walking toward the door. Dezeray felt a pang of anxiety as she watched him.

"Stay here, and don't touch anything, or I'll have you killed before we make port." he told her as he exited the room. Despite his thoughts of having her killed aboard the ship anyway, he wanted to make her think she still had some sort of chance.

Dezeray grimaced as she watched him leave; he wasn't very likable. She stood in the middle of the room, dubious of what to do. She was unsure of what Beckett was going to do with her, though the grim idea of having her killed seemed the most likely. She let out a sigh and walked toward his desk, examining its contents. A large map was set out over it, along with a number of small toy-like figurines of soldiers. There was a set of candles, an hour glass, and a few bottles and chests of various sizes.

It was only then that she noticed a dull, thumping noise emanating from the largest chest. She slowly moved closer toward it, leaning down, tilting her head toward it to better hear the noise. At first, she thought it was just her imagination. However, as she continued to listen, the thumping continued. She stepped away from the chest, fascinated, yet at the same time, slightly disturbed. What was inside that chest? She didn't have time to think on the question as the doors behind her suddenly opened and two men stepped inside.

One of them was Beckett, though she wasn't sure about the other. He was of average height, with dark brown hair, and a very merciless expression. He was dressed in all black, bleakly reminding her very much of an executioner.

"Escort her back to the brig, Mr. Mercer," Beckett said, as he walked over to the window again.

"With pleasure," the man replied, nodding. He grabbed Dezeray's arm and led her out of the room.

* * *

So that was chapter 1. Hope you enjoyed it, and please, comments and criticism are welcomed.


	3. Chapter 2 An Odd Coincidence

Chapter 3 finally up! That's all for now.

**Chapter 2 - An Odd Coincidence**

Mercer led Dezeray back down to the brig. He removed the shackles from her wrists-rather roughly she thought-opened the cell and pushed her in, watching as she stumbled forward. She turned to look back at him, noticing that he did not close the cell door to leave, but just stood there. She had a very bad feeling about this, and a strong suspicion that she was not going to make it off this ship alive. She walked farther into the cell, not noticing that Mercer had pulled a pistol from his belt. He aimed it at the back of her head, his finger tightening ever so slightly on the trigger.

The next thirty or so seconds seemed to go by in a blur. In some amazing coincidence, Dezeray stepped on a slippery floorboard, slipping and falling to the ground. She would have been incredibly embarrassed had it not been for the fact that Mercer shot his pistol at the almost exact moment that she slipped. The bullet whizzed over her body, making a small hole in the wall of the ship. Both, she and Mercer were momentarily stunned by the turn of events, however were able to move moments later. Mercer aimed at her again; however, she was ready for it this time, and rolled to the side, avoiding the second shot as well.

She managed to get to her feet, now in a crouching position, and dove at Mercer, grabbing onto his legs and knocking him over. He let go of the pistol and it flew through the air, hitting the ground a distance away from them with a hollow bang. Dezeray let go of Mercer and, on her hands and knees, began to scramble toward the weapon. She was just reaching out to grab it when she was abruptly pulled back by a tight grip on her right ankle. She swung her free leg around madly, trying to break free of the grip.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt her foot kick against something. A loud scream of pain echoed around the brig as her foot connected with Mercers crotch. The grip released her ankle and she quickly reached out and grabbed onto the pistol. Adrenalin now coursing through her veins, she jumped to her feet and bolted for the stairs, leaving Mercer stunned and wounded on the floor. By now, the commotion had roused the attention of a few guards and they slowly made their way toward the stairs that led to the brig. The men practically jumped back when Dezeray burst from the brig holding the pistol out in front of her, her eyes wild with panic.

Before the men could react, Dezeray bolted for the longboat tied to the side of the ship. She shot a set of ropes holding the boat and it fell toward the water, still being supported by a second set of ropes. It was then that she heard the sound of surprised shouts and footsteps running toward her. Without thinking, she jumped over the rail and into the boat currently dangling over the sea. She grabbed onto the side of the boat, the pistol still in her hand as she hung on for dear life; she had not planned this through. She could not see much from her current position, though she could hear the sound of guns being pointed at her. She closed her eyes; she was going to die.

Before any of the men could shoot, the remaining rope supporting the longboat snapped, obviously not strong enough to hold the entire weight of the vessel along with her. The front of the boat fell toward the water and she dropped the pistol, grabbing onto the boats side with both hands. It hit the water with a loud splash, and she was thrown overboard for the seocond time that day.

She quickly surfaced, the sound of shots ringing around her as the men back aboard_ The Endeavor _tried to shoot her. However, the longboat was blocking them from getting to her, and she heard the sound of wood splintering as some of the stray shots hit it. She grabbed onto the side of the boat, a few minutes later, the shots had stopped. She quickly climbed in, collapsing on the floor, her breath coming in quick, erratic heaves. She was trembling, as adrenalin was still pumping through her body. She suddenly noticed that her head was immensely sore; reaching up to touch her left temple, she felt something warm and sticky. Pulling her hand away, she saw a small amount of blood, realizing that she must have hit her head. Everything had happened so fast, she must have not even felt it.

She leaned back again, her body calming down slightly. She closed her eyes, unsure she would wake up.

Back aboard the _Endeavor_, Beckett stood by the rail of the ship, watching as Dezeray lay in the stolen longboat.

"Would you have us pick her up, sir?" one of his men asked, though he shook his head.

"With no food, water, or any form of supply," Beckett, replied with smirk, "I'll give her three days."

* * *

What did you think?


	4. Chapter 3 Do You Fear Death?

Chapter three is finally up, sorry it took me so long. Been swamped with homework lately. Read and Enjoy!

**Chapter 3 - Do You Fear Death?**

Dezeray awoke just as the sun was beginning it's descent below the horizon. She sat up quickly, laying back down when nausea overpowered her. Her head was still sore, and as she took a breath, she realized how dry her mouth was.

'_How long have I been out here?' _she thought to herself, before trying to sit up again, slowly this time. The feeling of nausea had passed and she was able to sit up fully. She pulled herself up onto one of the boats seats, looking out over the sea.

She could not make out any form of land, large or small, in any direction. Reaching into her pocket randomly, she felt something. Confused, she pulled the object from her pocket, a huge smile spreading across her face. In her hand, she held a small canteen, and it felt full. It was only then that she remembered purchasing it in Singapore not soon after she had arrived. When she had seen it in the small shop, she had not been sure she really needed it, though it was clear now that it had been a wise purchase.

Relieved, she opened the bottle and brought it up to her chapped lips, only to stop before taking a drink. She couldn't help but think of the fact that when the canteen was done, she was most likely going to die. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind though as she took a swig of the liquid. The water was disturbingly warm, though it was still water, and she was relived that none of the salty sea water had managed to seep in.

She placed the canteen on the floor of the boat before sliding down onto the floor herself. Her stomach gurgled, however she ignored it; she was much too tired to be hungry. She leaned against the side of the boat, staring back over the water. The gentle rocking of the boat was beginning to make her feel drowsy, and her eyelids began to droop. She stayed awake for as long as she could, though before the sun had set, she was fast asleep.

000000000000

The next morning, Dezeray awoke to the blinding sun in her eyes. She sat up and cupped her hands over her eyes, trying to shield them from the harsh sunlight. She turned away from the sun and yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Sitting up, she looked around her in hopes of spotting some form of land. A small beach, or maybe an island; she spotted nothing.

She slumped back down in the boat, unsure of what to do. '_I should have just cooperated with Beckett__,'_ she thought, cursing herself angrily._ 'At least then he would have let me stay on the ship, maybe even given me something to eat__.'_ She let out a deep sigh, and leaned back against the boat. She would spot land soon, she was sure of it.

0000000000000

The sun had migrated from its starting point just above the water, to the middle of the sky. Dezeray wasn't sure she could handle the blazing heat any longer. She lay in the longboat, her breathing slow and raspy, wondering how long she could keep herself alive. She had only been floating for about a day now, and she was already exhausted from lack of food, shade, and water. She had restricted herself to only a small sip for today and had taken it not long ago.

Just over an hour later, and her sense of time had disappeared. Movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to jump, and she turned her head just in time to make out a large, bluish-black dorsal fin sink below the surface.

'_They've found me'_, she thought gravely to herself, letting out a quiet sigh. She had hoped, prayed, that they would leave her alone, although she knew that the sharks arrival would be inevitable. Part of her didn't much care if they got her, as she would no longer have to live through this dreadful heat on an empty stomach. Yet, part of her didn't want to die.

She hoped that if they did decide to eat her, that they would do it quickly. She didn't want them taking turns nibbling on her while she was still alive.

She held her hand up against her head, sheltering her eyes from the fervid sunlight. She wished it was cloudy, at least then the clouds might offer her an escape from the stifling heat. Another fin breached the surface, and she was unsure if it was the same shark she had seen only minutes before, or a new visitor. Either way, the splash had been close, and she was not sure she wanted to look over the side of the boat to find out how close. She shivered, despite the boiling sun and lay back down, hearing a splash about twenty feet away. This time, she did look in the direction the splash had come from, catching a glimpse of the shark's dark shadow as it began to approach.

The boat was suddenly jarred to the side, prompting Dezeray to quickly sit up. The shark butted the side of the boat again, almost capsizing the small vessel and causing her to fall to the side. The shark began to circle the boat, preparing to ram it at again. She kneeled down and closed her eyes, unsure she would live to open them again.

Seconds past, soon turning to minutes, and still nothing happened. She opened one eye, unsure of what the shark was trying to do. She opened both eyes and sat up again, looking around her for the shark's shadow....she saw nothing. She glanced over all the sides of the boat, again seeing nothing. She sat back down, confused as to why the shark had suddenly fled. Moments later, she got her answer.

Something huge shot out of the water not far from the longboat, and it only took her seconds to figure out that it was the same ship that had destroyed _The Ranger_. The immense size of the ship and the power of its materialization sent a huge wave toward the small longboat.

Dezeray was thrown into the water yet again as the boat was easily tipped over, though quickly managed to surface. She choked on the harsh sea water, swimming back toward her now belly up longboat. Grabbing onto the side of the boat, she stared up at _The Flying Dutchman_, unsure if she would rather stay floating in the middle of the ocean, or be brought aboard it.

She heard a splash in the water nearby and braced herself for what might happen next. It seemed a repeat of what had happened to her the first time she had seen the ship. Something grabbed onto her foot and dragged her under the water. Suddenly, she was on the ship. She took in a large gulp of air when she was dropped onto the deck, and as she had expected, felt a tight grip on her shoulder. She rubbed the water from her eyes, and looked around. The strange fish-men were gathered around her, as they had been the first time she had been brought aboard.

She heard the Captain's footsteps and prepared herself for his arrival. He came quickly enough, limping toward her on his crab leg. He approached her, and she noticed how his expression changed as he saw her. He cocked his head to the side, seeming slightly confused at first, though a small smile found its way across his face when he realized who she was.

"Well, well, well," he purred, walking toward her, "If it isn't the little harridan whose ship we destroyed. You managed to escape, Lord Beckett's clutches, I see," he said, still smiling as he kneeled down to her level. "But, find yourself back aboard my ship."

She did not reply, only stared back into his ice blue eyes with her own bright green ones. She tried her best to stay calm.

"Do you fear death?" he asked; his Scottish accent was thicker than usual. Dezeray didn't answer. She only continued to stare into her captors frighteningly mesmerizing eyes. After a minute or so of no reply, one of his tentacles brushed against the side of her face, and she jumped, sucking in sharply.

"D-do I....f-fear d-death?" She repeated clumsily.

Jones cocked his head to the side curiously. "Yes, I believe I already asked you that," he grinned menacingly, looking back over his shoulder at his crew, who were currently snickering at the girl's foolish remark.

"Oh...um....N-no?" She didn't seem very sure of her answer, though she had still given the wrong one. Jones stood to his full height, towering over her diminutive figure.

"Then, you have no use aboard my ship." He began to walk away, though was plagued by the thinnest sliver of guilt at the prospect of killing someone so young. However, he did not let his feelings cloud over his judgment and did not turn back. Dezeray felt the man behind her remove some sort of weapon from his belt ane begin to raise it.

"Wait!" she called, and the man departing stopped while and the man restraining her lowered his hand. Jones made his way back toward her. "I, d-don't fear death r-right now...b-but I might. You know, in a f-few days or...s-something."

The man in front of her let a small smile graze his features, finding the girl's desperate proposal laughable. He had never had one of his captives speak so strangely to him, whether it be out of fear or personality. He found it absurd, yet fascinating.

"A few days, hm?" The girl nodded, and he let out a low, sinister chuckle. "So you expect me, to let you stay aboard my ship for 'a few days' until ye've made your decision?" She nodded her head vigorously. This time he reared his head back, and laughter boomed from his chest, as it did from the rest of the crew.

"Do you have any idea who I am, child?"

"Y-you're, D-Davy Jones," She answered timidly, and the laughter subsided.

"So, you've heard of me?" He replied, still smiling. However the smile quickly faded as he continued. "And if you've heard of me, then ye'll know that if brought aboard my ship, you have a choice of either joining my crew, or being killed by their hand." She winced at the last part.

"Well, isn't there a way that I could stay aboard your ship, without joining your crew and live? C-Captain?" She quickly added that as an afterthought.

Jones sighed in frustration; this youth was becoming particularly annoying. He was about to say something when he suddenly looked away from her and out into the distance. He walked past her, toward the bow of the ship.

She tried to turn to see what had caught his attention, and was able to make out a small ship in the distance. Jones returned a few moments later, looking increasingly flustered.

"We will continue this meaningless conversation later," he growled angrily as he looked down at her. "Maccus!" He barked at the man who was holding her, and it was only then that she noticed it was the same shark-man who she had been held captive by the first time.

"Aye, Captain," Maccus replied.

"Escort young...." He looked down at her, obviously waiting for her name.

"Garder," she replied quickly, "Dezeray Garder."

"Garder, to the brig. I have some more pressing matters that need attending." Maccus nodded, and began to lead her below deck. Once they were below, he led her to a large cell and unlocked it, before shoving her in. He closed the door and locked it again, heading back above deck without a word.

* * *

So, that's chapter 3. You may notice that is is similar to one of the chapters I previously disgarded from my story. The next few chapters are

most likely going to be the same; previous chapters that I have corrected and re-worked. That's all for now, don't forget to review.


	5. Chapter 4 Escaping Death, Again

Chapter 4 is up!

**Chapter 4 - Escaping Death, Again**

Dezeray paced nervously back and fourth across the length of the small cell. She had once again ended up on a ship she did not want to be on and-as she had thought while she had been aboard the Endeavor-she was not sure she was going to make it off this ship alive. She had been pondering how to stay on _The Flying Dutchman_ without being killed and without becoming one of it's strangely mutated crew. Again, she was reminded of her father's stories.

More thoughts of her father and she felt her eyes fill with tears. She quickly blinked them away however, not wanting the Captain or one of his crew to come down and find her crying. She had come up with an idea-be it a very poorly thought out idea-of how she may be able to escape alive. And as soon as she saw Davy Jones again, she would explain her proposal and see what he had to say. Though she was not sure how long it would be before he finally came back. She had been sitting in the brig for who knows how long now.

There had been much commotion above deck not long ago, and she was curious as to what had taken place. The ship had been filled with the boom of cannons, and she had heard men yeling and barking orders above deck, but it had all been over quickly. She thought that maybe Davy Jones had just taken out some of his wrath on a passing ship, though she couldn't be sure.

She sighed, currently bored out of her mind. With nothing else to do, she did one of the only things she could, one of the few things she was truly good at; she sang.

"_~Fifteen men on the dead man's chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_._ Drink and the Devil had done for the rest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_." She was so absorbed in her singing that she did not even notice the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. It was surprising that she didn't hear them, considering the strong thump of every second step, but she didn't. "_~Fifteen men on the whole ship's list, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_. _Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum_."

"That's quite a voice you've got there," Dezeray jumped at the statement and looked up to see the ship's captain staring down at her. He had been standing, listening to her for a while before he had finally replied. He was glad he had decided not to kill her right away, she was very entertaining.

"Oh, t-thank you," she smiled nervously and he nodded.

"Though I wouldn't be singing about the dead and the damned on this ship, if I were you," he added with a smirk. A silence fell over the two and finally, Dezeray plucked up the courage to make her proposal. "Um...Captain?" She inquired, and Jones looked down at her, "I have a...ah...proposition for you," she began, and Jones' instantly looked interested.

"Aye, and what be your proposition young lass?" he questioned curiously, putting particular emphasis on the word 'proposition'. He watched as she slowly stood and approached the bars of the cell.

"Well...I thought that, maybe if you let me live, I could....I could do your..." she stopped for a moment until she could find a good word, "bidding," she finally decided, "on land. It is true that you can only step on land once every ten years, is it not?" Jones only stared at the girl, baffled by her bravery and the fact that she knew so much about him; most only knew part of his legend. No one beside Jack Sparrow had ever dared try and make a deal like this with him, yet here was a girl, who must have only been in her teens, trying to barter with him for her freedom.

"Though your offer is convincing," Jones replied with a smirk, "And it is true that** I** can only step onto land once every ten years, my bidding has always been done-and **will** always be done-on the sea." He then added, "I also have a crew, all of whom are highly capable of traveling on land whenever we are in need of supplies." Without warning, he stepped through the cells solid metal bars and toward Dezeray, causing her to gasp and step back in surprise.

"But...but...there must be something I can do as a human that you-"

"Enough of this," Jones interrupted as he watched her stumble over her words. He drew his sword, and continued to walk toward her, quickly backing her up against the wall of the cell. She gulped, knowing that she would soon be dead. "I applaud you efforts lass," he told her honestly, "truly I do. However if you do not wish to join my crew, then there is nothing for you here." She closed her eyes, waiting to feel Jones' sword through her chest. The Captain raised his sword, preparing to rid himself of the girl when a thought suddenly struck him. He lowered his sword, sheathing it with a satisfied _shink_, and Dezeray slowly opened her eyes. Having heard the sound of the Captain's blade being put away, she was confused, though relieved; this was the second time today she had managed to escape death. "Perhaps there is a use for you," he purred with an evil smile, and Dezeay was unsure she was more, or less scared of him.

* * *

I know this chapter was kinda short, but I don't think it was half bad. Also, in case any of you are wondering, Dezeray is 16 years old. Hope you

enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to review!


	6. Chapter 5 A Proposition Accepted

Hello everyone, and I hope you're still reading my story. It's been a while since I last updated but, as compensation, I've got a nice, long

chapter for you to read. Hope you like!

**Chapter 5 - A Proposition Accepted**

"What do you know of the East India Trading Company?" Jones asked, watching as Dezeray immediately frowned.

"You mean besides the fact that they're all a bunch of pompous gits who think they own the whole ocean? Not much."

The Captain enjoyed the way she had said the words with such scorn; she obviously had some kind of grudge against them.

"So you don't much like them?" he queried with a smirk, and while if talking to a normal person she would have made a sarcastic comment, she only nodded her head. Jones smirk grew. He turned suddenly, again, slipping through the cells metal bars like a ghost. He unlocked the door and signaled for her to follow him. She did, making sure to stay right behind him.

They made their way up the stairs and onto the main deck, receiving some very curious looks from many of the crew. Jones entered his cabin, as did she, and he closed the door.

The first thing she noted when she entered the cabin were the gigantic pipes stemming from the walls and floors. A large organ sat at the far end of the room, and she though that it was somehow connected to the large pipes. A number of large tables and chests stood against the walls, adorned with quills, ink bottles, maps and candles. She noticed a small door to the side and realized that it led to a surprisingly ornate bedroom.

She was so busy looking around that she barely even noticed that the captain had stopped and was now standing in the middle of the room. She almost bumped into him; however she managed to catch her balance and quickly stepped back. He stood with his back to her, his hands clasped behind him.

"I have spared your life as I have a task for you." he said suddenly, causing her to look up at him, "A task neither I, nor my men would be able to accomplish."

"Does this task have something to do with the East India Trading company?" She asked, though she was positive she already knew the answer. Jones turned to her and nodded.

"They have something that belongs to me," he explained, and she could hear the contempt in his voice. "And I want it back."

"What exactly is it of yours that they have?" she asked dubiously, immediately regretting her question.

"That is neither your business nor your concern!" he spat, taking a step toward her, the tentacles of his beard writhing in frustration. She stepped back, both surprised and frightened.

"S-sorry Captain," she apologized quickly, looking down at her feet. He let out a triumphant sigh at having successfully scared her and stepped back, beginning to walk around his cabin.

"Until that time," he continued casually, as if his outburst moments ago had never transpired, "you will remain a member of my crew. You will receive rations of food each day, and will sleep in the quarters with the crew." He stopped as to make sure that she was paying attention. She was, so he continued. "Today and tomorrow you will be learning the duties of the ship, and you will contribute by doing the same amount of work as everyone else."

She seemed to understand. "Do I make myself clear Miss Garder?"

"Yes...I mean, Aye, sir," she nodded. Jones grinned malevolently, gesturing for her to move so he could open the door.

"Come," he ordered as he exited his cabin. "It is time for you to meet the crew."

0000000000000

"Gather round boys!" Davy Jones announced as he appeared above deck with Dezeray by his side. The crew either stopped, or finished what they were doing before huddling around him.

"Meet the newest member of the crew," he told them pushing Dezeray out in front of him. She gulped nervously.

"Hi," she greeted meekly; the crew only laughed.

"Thought you should get an idea of who you would be spending your time with," the Captain sneered. "While Miss Garder is aboard this vessel, I expect you to treat her as an equal member of the crew," he proclaimed with a wild laugh, prompting the rest of the men to laugh loudly as well.

"Now that you've been acquainted, all of you, back to work!" He commanded, and the men began to dissipate, heading back to their previous positions. "Maccus!" He called.

"Aye Sir," Maccus responded obediently.

"I'm leaving her in your charge," he explained, then added with a smirk. "I think swabbing the deck would be a good place to start." With that, he turned and headed back toward his cabin.

Maccus looked down at her and she stared back up at him, trying not to seem scared.

"Right this way Miss Garder," he replied with a toothy grin, leading her to the forecastle deck.

0000000000000

The rest of her day was spent scrubbing and mopping the deck with a select few other crew members. It was hard work, leaving her back aching by the end of the day, though she was grateful she was even still alive, so did not dare complain.

Although the work was hard, the day went by rather quickly. Dezeray didn't even notice as the sun began to set and the sky grew darker. She had just finished scrubbing when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She stood, turning to see that it was Maccus.

"Come on," he said, waving a hand at her, obviously wanting her to follow as he began to walk away. She quickly jogged after him, noticing that beside the two of them; only a few others were still above deck.

"Where is everyone?" She asked him curiously as they began to descend below deck.

"Some of them turned in early," he explained. "Though, most of them are in the galley." She nodded, remembering that the galley was a place where the crew could relax and have some time to themselves. She wondered what the men would be doing.

Maccus led her past the crew's quarters, where she could make out at least four men sleeping in hammocks. He then entered a much larger area where the rest of the crew could be found. She saw that, as you may find on a normal ship, some of the men were chatting, many of them were drinking, and a few were playing a kind of game with a number of dice.

Unsure of what to do and feeling like an outcast, she retired to a quiet corner of the room and sat down. She pulled the little silver pocket knife from her belt, twirling it between her fingers. Its smooth metallic surface shone in the dimly lit room, catching the attention of a few crew members.

"That's an interesting trinket," she looked up into the face of the man with the shell head, finding that his accent sounded vaguely Asian.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Would you care to wager it in a game of Liar's Dice?" he asked with a grin and she stared back at him for a few moments. Some of the other crew members were staring over at them, obviously curious as to what they were talking about.

"Is that what that game's called?" she asked sounding curious, he nodded. She thought about it for a few minutes. She definitely did not want to lose her precious pocket knife, though she was curious about the game, and part of her really did want to risk it and play.

Finally she nodded. "Alright then...uh..."

"Hadras," the man replied graciously and she smiled.

"Hadras, I will play," Hadras grinned, turning to walk back over to the small table, and she stood and followed him. The two sat down at the table, surprised as another man suddenly joined them. He had the head of an eel, and Dezeray found him fascinating.

"I'm in," he hissed, his long tongue slithering in and out of his mouth. Hadras frowned.

"Come on Morey, you don't want to play again do you?" he questioned, trying to persuade him out of the game.

Morey had been very lucky with this game in the past, and he had not. He did not want to be humiliated by losing a win to him again. Morey only stared at him, cocking his long serpentine head so far to the side that it almost went upside down.

"Afraid you're going to loose to me again?" Morey rasped arrogantly, frustrating Hadras.

"Excuse me, but can we get on with the game?" Both men looked over at Dezeray in surprise, as did some of the other men currently watching.

Hadras nodded, and quickly explained the rules of the game to her. Once she was sure she understood them, the three cast their dies.

"What are we wagering?" Morey asked inquisitively.

"This," Dezeray answered, placing the silver pocket knife on the table.

Maccus, who was standing behind her, whistled.

"Wouldn't want to lose something as valuable as that," Morey chuckled conceitedly, "but it's your choice." They were all about to check under their cups when Dezeray suddenly put out a hand.

"Wait," she began calmly, causing both Hadras and Morey to look up, "what do I get if I win?" The two men exchanged glances.

"You get to keep your little knife," Hadras told her. "I thought you-"

"Yes, I get to keep my knife but...shouldn't I get something from one of you if **I** win?" she questioned with a small smile. Morey thought for a few moments, and quickly came up with an answer.

"You'll get the losers rations for three days," he suggested; Hadras looked over at him in surprise.

"What?" He exclaimed indignantly.

"Seven days," she pushed.

"Five," Morey declared

"Done." Hadras only looked back and fourth between the two before letting out an exasperated sigh. The three looked under their cups at their dice. Dezeray was thrilled with what she got; Lady Luck must have been smiling down on her today as she had rolled a total of five fives. She somehow managed to keep her face calm. Hadras went first.

"Four twos," He disclosed. Morey was next.

"Seven fours," he blazoned, and Dezeray was last.

"Five fives," she smirked, letting the words roll of her tongue. Morey looked at her suspiciously before, pointing at her and yelling,

"Liar!" Dezeray leaned back, letting him grab the cup concealing her dice and pull it away. His face fell into a grimace when he saw that she really did have five fives. Almost every man in the galley was currently watching the game, and they hooted and guffawed loudly when they saw that Morey had just lost. He slumped back, frowning, and Hadras sighed in relief.

"I think I'll take my knife back," Dezeray grinned jauntily, and the men cheered and laughed. She picked up her pocket knife and stuffed it back into her pocket before leaning back contentedly. Perhaps staying aboard this ship wouldn't be as horrible as she thought.

* * *

Remember to review.


	7. Chapter 6 Sparring and Strange Dreams

Nothing to say about this chapter except: hope you like it!

**Chapter 5 - Sparring and Strange Dreams**

Dezeray awoke early the next morning to a low, curious gurgling noise. She sat up in her hammock and was upset to find that the gurgling was her own stomach. She lay back down, rolling over and hoping that maybe the hunger pangs would dissipate; they didn't. She sat up again, climbing out of the hammock and tip-toeing out of the room.

Once out of the sleeping quarters, she made her way down to the brig, unsure of what else to do. She strolled over to lean against one of the ships algae encrusted bulkheads, watching a lone fiddler crab scuttle across the floor into a crack in one of the floorboards. She stayed in the brig a little while longer, though quickly got bored and began to make her way back up the stairs. She passed the galley as she walked, finding Maccus wide awake and preparing something she couldn't quite see. She walked over to him, and saw that he was preparing rations of food for the crew.

"Morning," she yawned, and he looked up from his work to throw her a quick nod. He pushed a small cloth toward her, and she saw that it was a large piece of meat, a piece of bread, and what must have been...some kind of vegetable?

"Your rations for the day," he told her, raising an eyebrow as he watched her gulp down the meat and bread in about three bites. Remembering that she wasn't alone, she looked up at him, a small blush creeping across her face.

"I haven't eaten in a while," she mumbled quietly, and he only chuckled. She picked up the strange 'vegetable', as she thought it was, and devoured it as well, only to make a comical face and spit it out on the floor. "What is that!" She exclaimed, as she continued to spit on the floor, trying to rid her mouth of the foul flavor.

"That would be seaweed," Maccus told her, trying his best not to laugh, "It tastes strange at first, but you'll learn to love it." With a small smirk, he pushed another cloth in front of her, and she looked up at him in confusion.

"Courtesy of Morey," he said with a grin, and she grinned as well. This time she wrapped the food in the cloth and stuffed it into her pocket. "Oh, and Captain says this is for you," he handed her a small canteen attached to a piece of thin rope, and she took it from him. She opened it, taking a cautious drink, finding to her relief that it was just water. She wondered where they managed to get anything besides sea water on the ship and decided that it must have been rain water. She took a few more gulps of the water before tying the canteen around her belt.

She nodded at Maccus, indicating that she was leaving, though was unsure he had seen. She exited the room, walking up onto the deck, making her way toward the forecastle deck and finding it eerily quiet. Once at the forecastle deck, she pulled herself up onto the rail and sat with her one leg hanging over the water, while her other hung over the deck. A thin layer of fog hung just above the water, the sky a pale greyish-blue. She was only vaguely aware of the monotonous thump against the deck and didn't have to turn her head to know who it was. She continued to stare out over the sea, spellbound by it.

"You're up early," the Captain commented as he leaned against the side of the rail next to her. Dezeray shrugged her shoulders; even if her stomach hadn't woken her, she most likely would have got up at the same time, she had always been an early riser. A silence fell over the pair, and surprisingly, she found it wasn't the usually uncomfortable silence that often fell over people when they had nothing to talk about.

The Captain glanced over at the girl beside him and found himself wondering how she had found herslef on the pirate ship they had earlier destroyed. He also found it surprsing that she had managed to escape _The Endeavor._ She must have been a resourceful girl, or she would have been long dead by now.

A thought suddenly struck him and he stood from the rail, making his way back toward the helm. Dezeray watched as he approached the man currently steering the ship. She could not make out who it was from her distance, though she could make out the man handing Jones something. She was curious, though turned back to the sea, listening for the Captain's footsteps. They approached her, stopping a few feet from where she was, she estimated. She heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed, and turned to see that it was Davy Jones. Curious, she jumped down from the rail, and not moments after her feet touched the ground, Jones swung at her with his sword. She jumped to the side, managing to avoid the blow, though now she was both confused and angry.

"What the hell was that!" She exclaimed indignantly, unable to contain her frustration. Jones only laughed, swinging his sword at her again. She dodged the blade again, though only just this time. The laughter continued, and he suddenly threw her a sword. She caught it in midair, though the surprise caused her to fumble with it and she almost dropped it. She watched as the Captain prepared to strike again, lowering her body slightly, now in more of a fighting stance.

"How good are you with a sword Miss Garder?" He asked with a smirk, though before she could answer, his sword came toward her again. She met his blade with her own, and the clang of metal against metal was heard over the ships deck. It only took the captain about three strikes before he managed to knock the sword from Dezeray's hand, and she stared at him, still confused.

"Pick it up," he ordered, and she did as she was told. They began to spar, and this time it took him five strikes, though he managed to incapcitate her again.

They pair continued to spar, the Captain, throwing strikes at her while she matched as many of them as she could. He managed to disarm her multiple times, though each time he made her pick up her sword and continue to spar. After a while of standing in virtually the same spot, Jones began to advance on her, and all she could do was back away from him, still fighting. Her feet moved clumsily backward, and she almost tripped over them, however managed to catch her balance.

"Your feet must agree with your sword!" Jones called over the ring of their blades, and Dezeray thought that-in english-this meant that she needed to work on her footwork. Jones suddenly began to back away from her, and this time, she had to jog to catch up to him. She hadn't used a sword to fight like this in a very long time, and found herself becoming increasingly winded over a short period of time. They continued to spar, not noticing as the sun began to rise and the crew began to awaken. When they arrived on deck they were all met by a curious sight; their Captain, locked in an intricate sword fight with a girl about half his size, and who knows how much younger than himself.

By the time Jones noticed that the crew were awake, they had already begun their respected jobs. He looked at Dezeray, chuckling as he noticed how tired she was. Her dark, tan skin was damp with sweat, and her long, dark auburn hair was plastered to her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her green eyes tired and drained of their usual brightness. He found that he himself was tired as well, and that his breath came in long ragged rasps.

"Your technique needs work," he told her, and she only nodded, "though you do seem to understand some of the basic strikes. Where did you learn them?"

"My father was a...a sailor," she explained, though there was something questionable in her voice, "I traveled with him and...and he taught me how to handle a sword." Jones sheathed his sword, and Dezeray handed him the other. He grabbed the sword with his tentacled hand, accidentally rubbing it against her own hand, and she giggled involuntarily. A slightly confused expression crossed his face, however it vanished quickly.

"Today you will be learning how to rig the mainsail," Jones told her, and led her to the base of the main mast, where one of his crew stood.

"Greenbeard," he addressed the man, and he turned to face the Captain. His conical shaped head was covered in green, almost coral-like skin, and thin slits of bright yellow eyes could be seen on either side of his head.

"Aye Captain."

"You will be teaching Miss Garder how to rig the mainsail," he instructed, and Greenbeard nodded compliantly. He looked down at Dezeray, and she stared back up at him. She was no longer frightened by any of the crew, and instead, was enraptured by them.

"So when rigging the mainsail," he began, "here's what you gotta do....."

00000000000000000

Her second day went by almost as quickly as her first, and Dezeray found herself enjoying being on a ship again. After Greenbeard had showed her (or more, reminded her) how to rig and furl the mainsail, Maccus taught her how to load the cannons. She did some more sparring with the Captain, and when night came, she was ready for sleep. That night, sleep came easily, though her dreams were a strange jumble, of thoughts and feelings.

She dreamt that she was with her father, the two of them, on his ship, just talking. Suddenly, another ship appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and Dezeray realized that it was _The Flying Dutchman_. She looked back toward her father, however he was no longer there. In his place, stood none other than Davy Jones, and despite his frightening appearance, she wasn't scared, just confused. She had awoken from that dream abruptly, her body damp with sweat and her breathing irregular. She wasn't sure she understood the dream, thinking it had been a nightmare at first. However there had been no fear, only confusion.

'_It was probably that stupid seaweed'_, she thought to herself, soon falling back into a short and uneasy sleep.

* * *

Chapter 6 should be up soon, remember to review!


	8. Chapter 7 The Gift of Gills

Okay, so some of you may think this chapter a little strange, but read it anyway, and please don't flame me too much, kay? Later!

**Chapter 7 - The Gift of Gills**

"What about the girl?"

Davy Jones frowned as he remembered the human girl currently sleeping below deck.

"Almost forgot about her," he admitted to his first mate. "Go fetch the little whelp and bring her up," he instructed Maccus. "She will not hinder my plans."

00000000000

Dezeray was awakened abruptly as a hand grabbed her shoulder and gave it a rough shake.

"Captain wants to see you above deck," despite her grogginess, she could tell it was Maccus' voice. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Hm? Captain needs me?" She repeated, Maccus nodded. She stretched slowly, not noticing as he rolled his eyes.

"NOW!" he exclaimed, watching as she almost fell out of the hammock.

"Alright! Alright! Sorry," Dezeray apologized before quickly pulling on her boots and heading out of the sleeping quarters. She made her way above deck and toward the helm, where she found Davy Jones steering the ship. He was staring out into the distance at another, smaller ship.

"That took longer than it should have," he growled staring down at her, and she shrank away from him.

"S-sorry Captain," she replied quietly, straightening and trying not to seem frightened, "It won't happen again."

"For your own sake, I should hope not," he sneered, causing her to gulp nervously. Maccus was standing beside him in moments, and the Captain stepped away from the wheel, indicating for his first mate to steer while he spoke with Dezeray. He nodded, quickly grabbing onto the steering wheel, while Jones led Dezeray away from the helm and toward the forecastle deck. He stopped by the rail.

"We will be descending below the surface soon," he began, "in order to take that ship by surprise." He pointed at the distant ship with his tentacled hand, and it took Dezeray a few moments to realize why he was telling her this.

"But...Captain, I, can't-"

"Breath underwater," he finished, "which is precisely why I summoned you." Without warning, he grabbed her by her neck with his clawed hand. She was so stunned by the action that she had no time to react, and only stood paralyzed with fear, unsure what the crazed sea captain was doing. His grip began to tighten around her neck and she let out a strangled yelp, her hands immediately going to his claw as she instinctively tried to push it away. He was much stronger than her however, and his claw stayed in place, tightening even more so around her neck. He grinned as he watched her let out a squeak, the only sound she could manage to make with him currently obstructing her air supply.

She could feel the sharp, rough edges of his claw digging into the soft skin around her neck, positive that he had managed to draw blood. He was only holding onto her for a few moments, though to Dezeray, it seemed as if he had been strangling her for hours. He finally let go of her and she stumbled to the side, staring up at him as she rapidly took in air.

His grin widened, and she found herself hating the way he enjoyed seeing her in pain. Despite the fact that she knew he could kill her in seconds, she glared up at him angily. In the future, she would try to better manage her pain; making sure not to show it so easily. It was a difficult task for anyone she thought, but she would try. It would be worth it just to see the frustration in the Captain's eyes when he slashed her while sparring and got no reaction.

"It'll take some getting use to," he replied, seemingly randomly, interrupting her thoughts as he began to make his way back toward the helm.

Dezeray went to call out to him, however stopped when she felt how dry and tight her throat had suddenly become. She took in a breath, yet managed to breath in almost no air. Her neck began to throb, and breathing became increasingly difficult. She wheezed involuntarily as the throbbing worsened, grabbing onto her neck with both hands and noticing the strange bumps her fingers ran over.

She continued to gasp for breath, her throat convulsing uncontrollably. She was unsure she could take the immense pain any longer when, suddenly, it began to subside. It became easier for her to breath and she took in a deep breath, surprised when she felt a rush of air through not only her mouth, but through her neck as well. She gasped in surprise and ran her fingers along her neck, finding a number of strange ridges just behind her jaw bone.

'_He...gave me gills,'_ she thought to herself in astonishment, bringing her hands-now tacky with blood-away from her neck. She looked up toward the helm, where the Captain stood once again. He caught her eye, and a small smile curled up his lips. Dezeray noticed something like playfulness in his eyes and turned away from him, glancing over the ocean.

She ran a hand over her new gills and smiled, despite her previous thoughts about the captain. She couldn't wait to try out her new appendage.

* * *

Pretty short, and a little wacky, but they ship was going to have to go underwater at some point. I had to give her a way to breath

underwater, and gills just seemed the easiests. Plus, now she's more like a member of the crew, all mutated and stuff ;)


	9. Chapter 8 The Heart of Davy Jones

Alright, here's chapter 8, and I hope you enjoy it. Also, I changed chapter 7 slightly, if any if you would like to read it over again. Later!

**Chapter 8 - The Heart of Davy Jones**

Having seen the Captain leave his first mate's side and enter his cabin, Dezeray made her way up the few steps and to the helm. She stood beside Maccus for a while, unsure if he had not noticed her yet, or just didn't mind her presence.

"Maccus," she began suddenly, before he could tell her to get back to work or ask what she was doing, "can I ask you a question?"

He looked down at her, confused by her formality.

"I guess," he replied, the confusion showing in his voice.

"Why does the Captain let Beckett order him around?" she asked, the immense curiosity in her voice frightening. "I mean, he's the captain of an indestructible ship, he's immortal, and one of the most feared men ever to roam the ocean. Why take orders from such a pompous little man?"

Maccus didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes, letting out a quiet sigh before glancing down at her. He looked around, making sure that the rest of the crew were occupied with their respected jobs, not near enough to hear, before he began.

"Beckett has something that belongs to the Captain," he told her, his voice hushed. "It's something that he can't live without."

"What can't the Captain live without?" she queried, desperate to know, and Maccus hesitated before answering.

"His heart."

Dezeray leaned back in confusion.

"What?" she asked in abashment. "You, mean that in a metaphorical sense right? I mean, Beckett doesn't actually have the Captain's heart...right?"

"Beckett possesses the Dead Man's Chest," he explained, "inside of which, beats the heart of Davy Jones."

"You're kidding me," Dezeray replied, her bewilderment causing her to forget that they were supposed to be whispering. "You expect me to believe, that Lord Cutler Beckett actually holds the Captain's hea-"

"Keep your voice down!" Maccus growled, letting go of the steering wheel just long enough to grab her by her shirt collar and glower at her. She gulped, realizing that she was out of line and nodded. He let go of her shirt, his hands going back to the wheel.

"With the Captain's heart, Beckett can have him do anything he wants," Maccus explained, "and if the Captain were not to follow Beckett's orders, that 'pompous little man', could have him killed on the spot." Dezeray nodded, suddenly remembering the chest she had seen on Beckett's desk. There was no doubt in her mind now that that had been the chest containing the Captain's heart.

"So, I guess that would be what the Captain wants me to retrieve for him," she said quietly, more to herself than to Maccus. She sighed, remembering all the soldiers that had been aboard the Endeavor. Though it was true that she had managed to escape the ship, she knew that luck had been much more to blame than plan or skill. She wasn't sure she would be able to pull such a daring ascape off again.

Maccus seemed to sense her distress, for he gave her a hard clap on the shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry. The Captain'll have you plenty trained up before you have to take on the task." She looked up at him, noticing how he seemed almost human when a smiled a genuine smile of happiness. She smiled as well.

"Thanks," she replied, blushing slightly, and he nodded, turning to peer back over the deck. She straightened impulsively and placed a small kiss on his cheek, watching as he almost jumped out of his skin. He turned to stare down at her, an expression of disillusion plastered across his face. She tried her best not to laugh and quickly made her way down the stairs, passing the Captain as she hurried away from the helm.

Davy Jones watched her hurry away, glancing over at his first mate with a slight curiosity. He shrugged this of however and went to stand by Maccus.

"It's time," he said, waiting for Maccus to give the order. He said nothing, only stood where he was. "Maccus!" the Captain repeated slightly frustrated, and Maccus actually jumped.

"Uh, yes, sorry Captain." He apologized, quickly coming to his senses. He cleared his throat.

"DOWN!" He hollered over the deck, and all the crew stopped what they were doing, prepared to descend below the surface.

* * *

Remember to review.


	10. Chapter 9 Music, the Sea's Weakness

A nice long chapter for you guys. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 9 - Music, the Sea's Weakness**

"DOWN!" Dezeray heard the explanation and prepared herself. She looked around, noticing how the crew all seemed to be clinging to certain parts of the ship.

"You best hold onto something," she turned toward the man who had given her the advice, noting that it was Koleniko.

"Oh, right," she replied, looking around and hurriedly going over to grab a set of the ships shrouds. She braced herself, almost falling forward as the ship tilted down toward the ocean. She watched as the sea engulfed the first half of the ship, preparing herself. The water hit her with a ton of force, and she almost let go of the shrouds. She was briefly lifted off the deck and into the air-or, rather the water-however through much effort, managed to get her footing back.

Now, it wasn't that she had forgotten that she had gills, though was holding her breath as she was not quite sure how they worked. Thirty seconds later, she was still holding her breath. '_I must be doing it wrong_,' she thought to herself, though was unsure of how to properly make use of her new under water breathing device. She wanted to open her mouth, however was rather hesitant about it.

Finally, she could no longer hold her breath, and she opened her mouth wide, gulping in a mouth-full of salt water. She did not end up swallowing the water though, and could feel it being breathed out through her gills. It took her a few tries to get the hang of breathing underwater, though after a number of breathing experiments, she managed to get it right. All she had to do was let her mouth hang open ever so slightly and breath in through her mouth, making sure not to breath through her nose.

It wasn't until after she finally got breathing down that she realized how quiet it was. She looked around her noticing how some of the crew were able to walk around on deck, while others continued to hold on to various supports. She thought about letting go, however quickly decided against it. Instead, she decided to admire her surroundings. She watched as schools of colorful fish swam by, giggling as she watched various crew members snatch fish out of the water and swallow them whole.

A large pod of dolphins swam by, some of the younger ones swimming over to investigate the ship. Most of the crew members shooed them away, though Dezeray reached out, trying to touch one of them. It darted away at first though swam back a few moments later. Dezeray put her hand out, letting it hover in the water. The dolphin pushed it's round head against her hand after a few moments, letting out a playful chirp and circling around her before it made it's way back to the pod. She grinned, amazed at the unique flora and fauna the ocean had to offer.

The ship went by a large coral reef, and she observed some more colorful fish. The smile faded from her face however when a dark shadow swam up next to her. She managed to gulp in fear as a huge great white shark swam by the ship, only meters away from her.

It eyed her hungrily, and her grip around the shrouds tightened. There was suddenly some one standing beside her and she jumped when she saw it was Maccus. He opened his mouth, reveling his jagged and pointed teeth and snarled menacingly at the shark. Dezeray thought she actually saw the shark flinch as it veered off to the side and swam away, its tail swaying back and forth lazily.

She looked over at Maccus, relief in her eyes, and he nodded.

She suddenly noticed that she seemed to be leaning back and looked up, noticing how the ship was now tilting upward. She realized that they were about to surface and again, her grip tightened on the ropes. The ship burst through the surface and Dezeray was thrown back. She managed to keep a hold on the ropes, though as soon as the ship was fully out of the water, she fell to the deck. She coughed and wheezed, forgetting that she had to make the transition from gills back to lungs. No sooner had the ship surfaced, the exclamation of fire was heard from someone aboard the ship. _The Flying Dutchman _pitched slightly as canons began to fire at the off guard ship the captain had pointed out to her earlier.

Anyone still above deck now swung over to the other ship from various ropes. They yelled and waved their swords and pistols in the air, trying to intimidate anyone on the ship who was not already frozen in fear. Dezeray almost subconsciously began to make her way toward the ships rails, though was stopped by a tight grip on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was the lobster claw of the captain. He pulled her back and she almost fell over.

"You will be staying put in my cabin," he told her turning her around and pushing her toward his cabin.

"But, Captain-"

"Can't have you getting yourself killed now can we?" he replied, in an almost frustrated tone, "It would ruin my plans." He nudged her in the back with his claw and she stumbled forward. He opened his cabin doors and let her in, slamming the doors behind her. She scowled at the now closed doors behind her. '_He's so pushy_,' she thought to herself, but then again, he was the captain. '_I guess he's allowed to be pushy_.' She began forward, examining the room. She had only been in the captain's cabin once, and she hadn't had much time to really look around.

She walked toward one of his bookshelves, reading various titles along the sides of the books and wondering if he had anything interesting to read. Most of the books contained only maps and navigational charts. She steered away from the bookshelf and her attention fell on the large pipe organ at the end of the room. '_I wonder would it be like to play it_,' she thought curiously, and before she knew it, she was walking toward it. She stood in front of it, staring at it for a time until she finally turned away from it. '_He would kill me_....._literally,_' she thought, remembering that she was in the** Captain's **cabin. Yet, against her better judgement, she turned back toward it and sat down on the large bench.

She hesitantly placed a finger over one of the keys, though quickly drew her hand back. She was still rather unsure about this, though a few moments later, stuck her hand out again. She pushed a finger down on one of the keys, and the note blasted loudly. She jumped, not expecting it to be as loud as it was, though with the current racket outside, she was unsure anyone would have noticed. She played another few notes, though now specific song in particular. Minutes went by and she soon noticed a small silver trinket sitting nearby.

She reached out and picked it up, examining it. It looked to be a small locket with an intricate face craved into it. She opened it, and was both surprised and delighted by the little melody it played. She put it back down, trying to replicate the melody on the organ. It took her a number of tries to get it right, though she somehow managed to play half of the melody on the organ. Of course, her playing was not very skilled and she didn't play any of the right chords. She played using only one hand, and did manage to get the basics of the tune down.

She was forgetting where she was, and all of her attention was now aimed at getting the tune right. She no longer seemed to care that she was playing on the captain's organ without permission, she just needed to get that damn melody right. '_It's this key first, then this one_,' she thought to herself, '_no wait...first it's this key,__** then**__ this one_.'

She did not even notice when the captain entered his room. Then again, he didn't enter through the conventional means. He thought he had heard the sound of his organ being played and, though he had first thought that he was imagining things, quickly realized that the sounds coming from his cabin really were his organ.

Knowing that Dezeray was the only person in his room, rage welled up inside him. No one had ever been allowed in his cabin before she had arrived, and he had expected that she would know well enough not to touch anything. He would certainly make it clear to her that she was **never** allowed to play his organ.

He slipped through his cabin doors without opening them, prepared to give young Miss Garder the lashing of her life. However as he entered his room and heard the song she was playing, not only did he realize what it was she was playing, but that she was actually doing a moderately good job of playing it. He approached her slowly, and she did not notice the soft _thud_ of his crab leg against the floor. She only continued to play, humming as she went along. The captain stood behind her, far enough away that he wasn't looking over her shoulder, though close enough to watch as her hands moved, clumsily over the keys.

After a few moments he decided to let her know he was behind her.

"What exactly do ye think ye're doing?" he asked, watching as the girl in front of him almost jumped out of her skin in fright. She flew off the bench, turning to him and trying to step over the bench at the same time. In her excitement however, her foot caught on the edge of the bench and she toppled over, landing flat on her face and bringing the bench down with her.

She laid on the floor for a few seconds, unsure she would be able to look the captain in the face after that disgraceful display. She quickly stood up, unsure of what to do. She slowly raised her head, trying to make eye contact with the captain. His face displayed and expression that meant he was either going to murder her, or that he was trying to contain his laughter. Her face went bright red and she looked down at her feet. He could no longer hold it in, and finally, the Captain let out a bout of loud, amused laughter that filled the whole cabin.

'_What a show that was_,' he thought comically to himself. He had had a hunch that this girl would be entertaining, but he never would have expected this. He took a deep breath, finally having regained his composure. '_That embarrassing display was punishment enough, I think_,' he thought.

He stared down at the girl in front of him, any of the anger he had previously been harboring toward her now having dissipated. Music was his weakness, and after having heard Dezeray play, he no longer wanted to punish her.

"Why were ye playing my organ?" he asked her, serious now. She didn't look up at him, but continued to stare at her feet.

"I....I just wanted, to....to try and, see if I could, p-play," she answered quietly.

He continued to stare down at her, unsure of what to do with her.

"I hear you play at night sometimes," she said suddenly, "you're amazing, and I just wanted to see how hard it was."

That comment peeked Jones' curiosity, and he waited for the girl to say more. When she stayed quiet, he raised an eyebrow.

"And?" he questioned, startling the girl.

"Sir?" She replied, confused.

"Did ye find it easy to play?"

She managed a small smile.

"I'm not sure how you manage to make such beautiful music," she replied, still smiling.

"Flattery won't help you Miss Garder," he told her, causing the smile to fade. "Much," he added with a smirk, and the smile returned.

He motioned with his hand for her to leave, and she quickly made her way out of the room. She opened the door, turning to and watch as the captain picked up the small silver locket before she left him alone.

* * *

What'd ya think? I thought it was one of my better chapters but, that's just me ;3 Review and tell me what ya think!


End file.
